Apparatus for the manufacture of



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

H. H. EDGERTON. APPARATUS POR THE MANUFACTURE 0]?l ILLUMINATING GAS. No.339,748,

{No Model.) v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. H. BDGERTON. APPARATUS FOR THEMANUFAGTURE 0F ILLUMINATING GAS.

No. 339,743. Patented Apr. 13, 1333.

4 N. O ml. R E G D E H E {No Model.)

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUPAGTURB OF ILLUMINATING GAS.

Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

- E. H. EDGBRTON. APPARATUS POR THB MANUFAGTURE 0F ILLUMINATING GAS.No.v 339,748. PatentdApr. 13, 1886.

JI |H H H l U" Q Q: Q Il H I v nl-Ill Il H J U E Il H Il .,N H HU 1 y ry Tr r ,W H H H l ll H /4\ H r v H 1 L TTJ 1 w H r H H 1lllArrlrlrnrwnrlllrJlIllAll H H r r H r F r V 1 H V r H Q- 1 T HUH |1 1lg I* 1| a m the burning; to generate tbe steam for O forming part ofLetters eranone.

Patent No. 339,?416, elated. April i3. LBRS.

Applieniion llod July Qi. 1884, Serial NoA 138,836. (No model.)

To @Z5 whom, il; ffii/,ty concern:

Be it known that i, HENRY H. EDGERTON, of* Deinem in tire county oiFairfield and State oi" Connect-ioni, have invented n new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for the Manufacture of `liluinimitinGes1 whichiniprmxement is uilysetliort': in thel following specification.' y

This; invention relates more particularly to the profiuetionilluminatingfas b; the eonibination or nriniixtnre oi e. non-iuzninoueor oompnrat-iveiy non-iunnnons gas such es ww iergas, for exemple-with nges rieb in iight givingr eieinents, Such es eil-gne. lt comprises newmethods of au apparatus for generating wntegns and oil-gne, enti Vformixing them with eaeii other. The Wneegasre eiistornary, is generi/Liedin eupoine or Sin'eis,in n'liieh the carbon is raised to n hightemperature by the eornbustion of the charge itself, and tbeoilgenerated in close exter-nnlly-iieeied re torna, is also eonnnon.

The invention consists, iirst,'in forcing tbe zur by n. bion'er orcompressor through the charge in libe enpoins, so to forni beatinggae,burning;r this gris with nir to hee-.t tbe retorie, und iinnly utilizingtire waste bent of use in the procese, and. also in the spe-ciel zurangement of eupoins, retorie, fines, und boilers 4i'or ueeoniplishingthat purpose.

The invention Consists, eeeonly in Super-y henting the steun] io bedecomposed in the eupoins by tbe seine grises thnt lient the retorts,and in ille special l ose.

arrangement oi' ilues for 'Jie pn :ine i i iiiirfv, in n specifi] fromoir In tire generation oi' this gne nir iret .pnenei' 'ong-l1 tbe chargeof coke unt-ii brought o .riunite-bent. Then the nir .e @finit o anni:ste n ndinil'ciezl. .be

or mixture of .ogen and earbonio oxide resulting from ine decompositionof tbe steznn by tbe heated carbon is drawn oii in n different directionfrom ibo-niegue or mixture of eerbonie oxide nini nitrogen refsuiting;fro fi the previous eoinbn Vion ofi coke. Two or more eupoins ereemploye one or more being used to generate nir-1 -er bent-l ing tireretorisj while tire otiiere nre need to gemeinte unter-gne. Hereo'orethe cupole opening valves in the outiet-liues.

torts.

V tinge.

or `eupolns while generating wuier-gns have been eut off from the othersby closing end new inode ot' working no valves in the ilues arerequired; but without tbeinnid (the con ueetion between the cupola andthe nir-gas fines remaining always open) tbe water-gee is or may bedrawn oii independently 0i the air-gas `from tile other eupoln or`eupolns, or inore or ieee of it may be allowed to pose with the air-gueinto tbe4 (lues for heating the re- Tbis Separation or regulation ie effeeterl by ninintnining the pressure of the wnter-gns in the upper pintof tbe cupola so ns to bnlnnee the pressure of the air-gos. An ejeetoris provided to draw oi' the water-gus, and the pressure con easily beregulated to revent tbeentraneeofnirene-bi' iurnin tin:

b i .Y a;

stennreock of this ejector.

The invention also consists in n special un right retorti'or themanufacture of the oil-gne, and in partieninr construtions,combinations, and arrangements.; of 1mi-ts, as hereinni'ter plained.

The accompanying drawings represent n plant or nppnrntus constructed inneeordnnee with the invention.

Figure l isnplen View ofthe complete worksy By the J except thegas-bolders and supplytnnks. The

other figures 'show on n, larger erntors, Fig. 2 beingI n. front View,Fig. 3 n vertical longitiulinal section, Fig. 4 n horizonte! sect-ion,Figs. 5, n, und 7 vertical oross.seetions in fiil''erent planes, Fig. 8an end View. 9 n, heet: View, Fig. i0 n partiel View in verticallongitudinal Section, und Fig. il @eA tnil vieu'. Fig. 12 is pien Viewoi one oi' the reoris. 2

fin the apparatus Shown tiierenretwo Cupo! or waeugas generators, andtwo benches ei'ei t( retorts eeoli. The eupoias Aare or may be anyorinnr-y or suitable construction. The retorts B nre new in theirconstruction und setihey are made oi' fire-Clary or other suit ubiminterinl, are oi'a gonera'l eylint'lrieaiforni1 betet one end :ire eachprovided with n Squared enlargement,Loi'frusto-pyronlidulform. Theobject of the enlzngenieni' is to ennbie the snrrounding brick-work tobe more eneily iitted nrounuL the mouth of the retort, und also toenable n series of retorts to be placed Side by eide without interveningbrick or tile wor-laf scale the geu- IDO around the retorts.

` cupola.

iii;

The object ol' the tapering or hustopyramidal,

form is to give wedgeshaped packing-spaces 2 between the sides ol:` theenlargement and the kinelosing'\ vall.

rl`he retorts are preferably arranged upright.'

Their lower edges rest upon tiles 3 above a llue, C, ruiming from frontto back of the henclr. The interior of the retort is in freecommunicuiion with this l'lue. (See Fig. 5.) ioth it and the lower partof the retort are lilled with sand or similar granular packing material,so as to close the lower end of the retort.

l`hc object of the sandilues C is to permit the sand to he removedwhenever desired. The ends oi the sand-llues are or maybe closed in anyordinary way.

lln the upper part of the brick-work are the air-gaz.4 or heating-gasVues D, *which take t-he gas from the upper part ofthe cupolas Aanddeliver it h5' lateral branches into the spaces around the rctorts 'l hythe ports 4. (Sec Figs. 8, 4, and 10.) Just lbefore the gas enters thesespaces it meets a current of hot air lescaping through the ports 5 from.one of the ilues li. These tlues E, of Awhich there is one to each benchof retorts,'/.igzag back and forth through the brick-work (see Fig. 6)alongside ol' the retort. ".lhe air is therefore veryhighly heated bythe time it reaches the ports 5 and meetsthe landing-gas. The combustionof the routing-gas goes on in the conlined spaces The products-ofco'mbustion or waste gases escape' at the bottom of the Ireiut-chamber, by the ports 6 ot' the take-off ing-gus is taken from thespace surroumlingl the cupolas between their wallsand the square` orrectangular inclosing-ease S oi'metal.y lt is drawn through the pipe I),and by means of a n ejector orsteam-jet compressor, 10, isforced throughthe pipe 11. into the lowerpart of the The same ejector feeds the airinto hotl'. cupolas, a threeway eock,fl2, (see Fig. uwlserving toestablish vthedesircd connection.

"lhe use ol" an ejector or otherv compressoror air-forcingr apparatus isessential iii-order t0- heat the boiler ,with the waste gases,- for, aslucir temperatureis much reduced in passing lhrough ihe boiler, theywould not .by rising through a chimney,produce sul'licicnt draft throughthe cupolas und rotor-tcliambers to carry ou the gas-manulacture. lhe'ejectoris suppliedu il h steam fromthclwilel.' (i through the pipi. |55.ltis'ol coursedeconuviosed inthe cupola, :uni l he productsot'decmnposition pass wuh lhenir gus intothe lines l).

The air for burning the gases in the retortchamhersis drawn from thespace above the bench, (although it may be taken from any other suitablep1aee,) and is forced by the ejector or compressor 40 (see Fig. 9)through 1 the pipes 41into the hotair flues E. l A threeway cock isplaced at 42, so that the supply to either of the i'lues maybe cut olTindependently ol' the others, or both l'lues can be sup-` plied at thesame time.

The steam for generating the water-gas is taken from the pipe 13 by thebranch pipes 14, and it is superheated before it is admitted into theeupolas. For this purpose superheatingchambers H, extending from frontto back ot' the bench -wor k, (see Fig. 7,) are formed above thebranches ofthe takeotllue F. These chambers communicate with the saidfine by the openings 15 in the bottom otl the chambers. They do not,however, form a. .part of y,the tine, so that there is vno directAcirculation through them; butthe superheatingpipe 16, which is placedin each Y'bambou is heated mainly by radiation. There is of course anindirect ei reulation through thechambers,caused by differences in the,tempefature 16 rests upon the bottom o1 the superheatingchamber andcontains the pipe 14, which conveys the steam to ine back and theredeiivers it into the pipe The superheated steam escapes by the brauchpipe 1.7 lhe pipes 16 are closed at both ends. 'lhehranch pipes 17connect with `the pipe 1S, which rmssing through the middle of theairpipc l1 d.. livers the steam to the rose or perform. tu tributer 19in lthe lower part ol' the cupola. '.lhe steam escapes through tl.eopenings in the rose or distributeur into the incandescent coke. archedplate 55, which supports the rose'or distri-buter. The pipe 18 has ofcourse a branch -for each cupola, and both it and the other steam-pipesare provided with suflicient val-vesoreocks to regulate the supply. The

water-gas from the decomposition ofthe supcr- `heatedsteam is drawn oft'from the upper part :of the cupola throughthe pipe 20 by the ejector o raspirator' and compressor 21, supplied with steam from the branch 22 ofthe steam-pipe 13.

' A -threeway cock, 23, -(sce Fig. 9,) puts whichever cupola is desiredinto communication with the' ejector. It is evident that so long,r asthe pressure of lwatergas'in the top of one cupola balances the pressureofthe air-gas in ythe other Jair-gas lwill enter ythe water-gasgcnerator, and that Whenever the pressure in the latter becomes thegreater more or less water,- gas will enter thc-fines D and be burnedwith the air-gas iu the'retortehambers for .heating ,the reterts.v Byregulating the steam-supply of the ejector 21 the pressure in the cupolagenerating water-gas can bek controlled so as to take olfthe water-gaswithout '.tdmixture, and if more water-.gas is generated than can `Ibcusefully employed `formixing or other purpose, to allow the excess topass into the dues l). .'lhe oil or hydrocarbon naphlha, for ex- Thepipe The air passes around the edgesof the ampie, is fed unfierpressure-say, that of tirent* feet more or ieee) of Waiter-m .F

supplied to each retort. ey o, seperate pipe,-2fi,f provided with aregulaiug-eoeif enel. brameh#` ing from the mein oi'iiije 25. "Euch pipe2i: passes through the cover 26, editados the 'top of the retort, emi.deseende almost te the botoin of the suuigeriniuetiug fieiiorif,dietanee above the efinp The oii is veporized as or immediately ni'eriteseepfi from. the Supply: pipe 24, and puseing through +iie retortescapes by the onileupipe :'57, .viiiee eemmnni emes with ille iiyruuiicmein This out lei; provided with etes: peeing er petcoel; ab 29 forgiving the indieuiziousi ueeessury to. reguiate tile supply of eil orhydrocarbon, ae 4es ribefi in Leiters ifeni; No..4,a-Li3,grent ed to meMeren 20:, 1833. At he beu@ iii-each pipe 2'4" is lap or eover, 30,placed over an opening in ille pipe, und. lielii to .ie Seat by theueigli'sfl et ine end ei' lever qfuleruinefl at to lugs on the pipe. Byraising' the weight ille liep or cover can be .removed to rei-ruitClearing of the pipes shonlf hey accidentuily become doggedn @he rieb.oil-gris frein iie iiyreulio .mein is eerrieii 'by the pipe Si into inecondenser and scrubber i, preferably f ei: es deseribed in iresziiiipatents, and by the pipe second and. s( aller conde-neer, K, pipe i:noter L, o i'iie pi xe 3.7., where ii: meets the Winer-gas which hepee-ee( by wey of the pipe 3S, purifier M, poe-39, and meter N'. The'pipe 37 conveys ii.. ized gases to the gus-holder. Cif Conroe anyordinary or suit;- uble purifiers muy be use-ii lfor the oil und voterThe object oi' using the ineers'is to insure iie use oi' tiie properreiative quan" ities of the tivo gases.

ingrder to Cub o; il'ie iieainggae from eii'lier lieneli of retoris,ii'izii, ile other may be used alone, the ilue i) leeiiing to euchbeneli is provided with a domper of u peoiel oonetrueiion. It consistsoi' tryo siideii, 50 and 5l, with a iiiing of sand heir-.reen them. Ofcourse the filling of' Sand is used only when it is desired to eut ofi'ilie supply. iv'fnen i is desired to open theeoluinnnicutiemme ,mi isscooped up, one slide is raised enzirely and the oiier is miseiuore oriess, io reguiite fiile ow so that the gas may be distributed. properiybeiveen the two beneliee. in freni, of une brick Tvork surrounding thereiergs me number peep-holes, (g, for observing the inside or" tilereior'L-eiimnlnzrs. Y

it is obvious that inoeiieabiono muy be mafie 'in the iietziils oi'construction wibhoui; deparw ing i'roni the spirit; oi' iie invention,und iizib parts of the invention muy ne 'need separaely.

il: inziy be here observe l Liie gas appuratu has been (levis. d iniriii 1 feierte :ire hezieii "oy from ,upolzns, and the hot gases,

'after enveloping the retort, are passed through be mixed with theoii orwith hydrocarbon vapore generated. in the retorte, the mixture beingexpensed to o very high neat iu order to decompose the vapore into fixedgas in presence of the Water-gne. in my invention, ou bine other Iueiu,the retorts are viii oil y cui'. oi' i'roni une enpolue, und illie richoil-ges is generated independently.

The fi-iregoiug gus apparatus is believed to be subsequent to myinvention; hub wheilier leiter or earlier is immaterial, since itdiffers, as stated, i'rozn what; claim. f

it may be observed, aise, that it has. eee

proposed to generate and purify ivaer-gas,

euri @lien having eerburete seii Wuier-gas io the mixme througheixiiig-reori.. The L .eue for this purpose differs from that. of myinvention in that in iliie former the pipes for conveying the weier'gaslead (through a ear bureter) into the fixingqetort, Where the oil oroily vapors ere deeompose, Whereas in i'ny plant the oilgas undwater-gas generators are independent, and .deliver their gases intoseparate pipes, to be mixed only after passing the eepurute purifiersand iueiereJ The heating of 'aile .mixed gases or of die wucergas mixedwii vapo ry A e; find io wasteful und noi, ui:- ali iiefiimiele2 In theformer plant for enrb'liriing Weilergas and then iii into iio rezorii iodecompose iie hydrocarbon vapor into gils no meters are used, ami, inmet, they eoulii not be usei'uiiy employed, heee-use the quality of thegus is not dependent simplyupou the quantity of Winer-gas admitted, but;uleo upon the iieeompoeiiions which take piece in the iixing-retort. v i

' Having new fully described my said iuveir tion sind the manner oicarrying; the same iuo efec', what I eiuim is- 1, The Combination, witht-iie eupolus, re torts, und steam-boiler, of one or more eempreesors orSteam-ejeeters for creating n stron current through Said oupoias, thereiorueiaxnd bers, and the Steaui-boiier, said cupolas being connectedwith seni retorbchuniberfi by iiues for delivering 'the air-ges into theehainhers, and beingsI i'uriier provided 'with separate iiues foreuri-ying oi" the ivateivgzie, anti the seid retors being adapted to theseperate meuniueture o' u rich nud viliereiere having no eoimnuuieationwith either the retort-einemv here or flue water-gris iiues,suiiutaniiiully de :L 'Eine combination, with the eupelas ami retorte,oit1 une iuee formed in the brick-work surrouuiiiug tile retorgs foreouveying the lieaiingfD fue retort-onimbe nir dues also oriueii in thebrick-work More. said, Subee .ziiiy es ilescribed, so that tile ret/orteare lieziiefi by the combustion in ine reerig-eheinbere oi" the geei'roni the euuolas by ineens oi' the liet nir from Suid 'luesi, un sefort-ii.

3, The combinefiou, with ine eupolae unli retorts, 'of the compre-secrer eieoniejeeor for foreing oir intoiieiii eupolus, thereortf-eiiainbers, the lines for conveying the heating-gas from thecupolas into the retort-chambers, the hot-ail` fines, and the compressoror steamejectorfor forcing t-lie air into said lines, both theheating-gas iiues and tliehot-air ilues being formed in the brick-'worksuiroiiiiding the retorts, substantially as described.v

Lt. The combination, with upright retorts set in brick or tile work, ot'heating-gas fines formed in the said brick or tile work, the zigzaghot-ai r lines also formed in said brick or tile work alongside theretorts, and the takeoff lines, the three sets of lines allcommunieating with the retort-chambers, substantially as described.

The combination, with the cupolas, retorts, retort-chambers, andsteam-boiler, of the compressor for forcing air into said cupolas, thethies for conveying the gas therefrom into thc retort-chambers, thezigzag hot-air flues formed in the brick or tile work of the ietortsitting alongside the said retort-cham# bers, the compressor for forcingair into said iiues, and the take-oit flues connecting therctoit-chamber with the steam-boiler, substantially as described.

6. The combination ol the cupolas, retorts, retort-chambers,air-gastiues leading from the cupolas into'said retort-chan'fncrs, and hot-airfines also leading into the retort-chambers,but from asource of freshair and not from the cnp'olas, of the superheaters setin the brick ortile work ofthe retorts,and pipes for deliverering the snperheated steaminto the cupolas, substantially as described.

7. A superheater consisting of a chamber placed adjacent to aiiue forconveying hot gas, and communicating with the same through openings inthe intermediate wall,and the superheating-pipes in said chamber, sothat said pipes are heated by radiation and convection, and not by thedirect circulation over them of the gases in said liuc, substantially asdescribed.

S. The combination, with the retort-cliain bers,the lieati iig-gasllnes,tlie hot-airlines, and the take-oil' vfines, of thcsupcrlieating-chainbers placed adjacent to said takeoff ilue, andcommunicating therewith through openings in the wall between, and thesuperheating-pipes in said chambers,substantially as described.

9. The combination, withthe cupolas or air and water gas generators,andthe common lilies for carrying oli' the air-gas from said cunolas,ofthe aspirator and connected 'pipes l'or drawing oi' the watcrgas fromeither cupola and at the saine time .controlling or regulating thepressure therein, so as to enable the user to withdraw thc water-gasindependently ol' the air-gas without closing the coniinunicat'ionbetween thc cupolas, said pipes leading directly from the cupolas to thcaspirator, and thus constituting simply coiiveyers to the water-gas, iiicontradistinctioii to pipes er passages constituting or forming .part ofvaporizing and Ilxing retorts, substantially as described.

10; In the manufacture of water-gas in connected generators by raisingthe coke to incandescenee and admitting steam into contact with theincandescent coke alternately in the generators, the improvementconsisting in maintaining and regulating the pressure of the watcr-gasin the generator at or above the pressnre of the airgas in the othergenerator, so that the water-gas may be drawn off independ' entlywithout closing the communication between the two generators, andV whendesired may be delivered in greater or less quantitiesinto the iiues forcarrying off the air-gas, substantially as described.

11. A gas-retort of general cylindrical fo'riii having the wallsthickened at the moutlrto constitute an exterior enlargement, thecyliiidrical bore extending from end to end of the retort, substantiallyas described.

12. A gas-.retort of general cylindrical forni having the wallsthickened at the month to constitute an exterior enlargement, the saidenlargement being squared, and the cylindrical bore extending from endto end of t-he retort, substantially as described.

13. A gas-retort provided at the mouth with an enlargement offrusto-pyraiiiidal form,

substantially as described.

14. In combination with a retort-chamber having rectangular openings, aseries of uprightcylindiiical retorts each having at its mouth asquaredenlargement and set in said chamber, substantially as described.

15. 1n combination with a retort-chainber,

one or more retorts set therein and packed as explained, each retorthaving at the month an enlargement of tapering or .frusto-pyramidalforni, whereby wedgeshaped packingspaces are left around the same,substantial] y as described.v

16. rlllie combination, with one or more retorts'opcn at the inner end,of the sand-ue entering beneath the same and communicating with theinterior of said retorts, substantially as described. y

17. The combination, with the retort-chain bei', the series of uprightretorts, and the saudilue under said retorts, substantially as (ie--scribed.

18. In the manufacture of oil-gas, an upright retort, incombiiiatioirwith the sandpacking for closing the lower end, andthesupply-pipe descending to within a short distance of said sand,substantially as described.

19. The combination ot' thecupolas, the

upright retorts, the retort-chambers, the heating-gas fines, the hot-airfines, and theY take-o` fines, thetliree sets of flues being formedfinthe brick er tile work surrounding the retorts and built up against as'described. n l

20. rllhc combination of the cupolas, up-

right retorts, heating-gas lines, hot-air fines,"

take-off fines, superheater and steampipesf, substantially as described.

21. The combination of the cupolas, airtliecupolas, substantiallycompressor, water-gas aspirator, heating-gas fines, hot-nii' iues,compressor for oremg air into said hot-air ues, retortchambers, uprightretoits, take-off iues, superheaters, boiler, Steampipes, and oil-supplypipes, substantiaily as described.

In o gas-fine, a damper composed of slides with a filling of granularn'laiierial-eueh as sand-between them, substantiaiy as do scribed.

28. A plant for making a mixture of oil-gas and Water-gas, consisting ofthe cupolas o1' water-ges generators, the oil-gas retorts, the separatepuriiers, separate meters, :md sepa rate eonveying-pipes for the twogases, and the Common pipe for receiving and carrying away the gasesafter passing the meters, Substantialy ne deeciibed.

524-. The combination, with an vupright Y closed retort, of unoibdelivery 'pipe extending to near the bottom of Said x'etort, anoutlet-pipe connected with the lippe? end, the heatinggzisuescommunicating with the upperpzut of the retort-chamber', :md thetake-Gif fines commul'lioztting with the lowex part, Substzmtially asdescribed. z5

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo Subsicribing Witnesses. v

H, EDGERTQN.

Witnesses:

H. M. HYAMS, WM. F. ENGEL.

